1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector engagement body including a first connector and a second connector which, for example, relates to one having such a structure that the second connector connected to the first connector is disengaged by use of a lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a lever engagement type connector (connector engagement body) having such a structure that rotating a lever separates, from a female connector, a male connector mated with the female connector by a rotational operation of the lever is known (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,179 B1).
In the above conventional connector engagement body, pressing a lever portion (operation portion) of a lock arm provided at the lever elastically deforms the lock arm to thereby unlock (pull out a lock protrusion from a lock hole), and then the lever is rotated with the operation portion being kept pressed, to thereby disengage the male connector from the female connector.
However, with the above conventional lever engagement type connector, since the lever is rotated with the operation portion kept pressed, a force in the direction of pressing the operation portion and a force in the direction of rotating the lever are necessary when disengaging the male connector from the female connector.
Further, it is so configured that the forces in the above two directions are applied only to the operation portion at a distal end of the lock arm to thereby press the operation portion and rotate the lever.
Thus, a problem arises that the lock arm of the lever may be damaged due to a great force (the force for elastically deforming the lock arm and the force for rotating the lever) applied to the lock arm of the lever.
Further, another problem arises that, since the lever is rotated with the lock arm kept elastically deformed, a repulsive force of the lock arm may prevent a smooth rotation of the lever.
Therefore, as a connector engagement body for solving the above problems, one as illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 25 has been proposed.
The connector engagement body 301 as illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 25 includes a first connector (for example, a service plug installation body) 303, a second connector (for example, a service plug) 305 and a lever 307. Further, the connector engagement body 301 is used by being installed on a midway of a conduction wire connecting a battery and a load (for example, motor) of a vehicle.
The first connector 303 includes a terminal 304 and is installed to be integrated with a base body (not illustrated, such as a body of the vehicle) by tightening tools such as bolts (not illustrated).
The second connector 305 includes a locking portion 311 and a terminal 306 (a terminal connected with the terminal 304 of the first connector 303) and is detachably and integrally connected with the first connector 303.
The lever 307 includes an operation portion (for example, a rotational operation portion) 313 and a locked portion 315 engageable with the locking portion 311 of the second connector 305.
The lever 307 is engaged with the first connector 303 and the second connector 305 and moves relative to the first connector 303 and the second connector 305, to thereby cause a mating force and a separating force to act between the first connector 303 and the second connector 305. In the connector engagement body 301, the lever 307 rotates relative to the second connector 305.
In addition to being rotatably engaged with the second connector 305, the lever 307 is so configured as to be engaged with the first connector 303 when the second connector 305 is caused to be connected with the first connector 303, when the second connector 305 has been connected with the first connector 303, and when the second connector 305 in a connected state is caused to be disconnected from the first connector 303. Then, although details will be described later, the lever 307 adapted to move relative to the first connector 303 and rotate relative to the second connector 305 is so made as to cause the mating force and the separating force to act between the first connector 303 and the second connector 305 (causing a downward and upward force for attaching and detaching the second connector 305 to and from the first connector 303).
With the connector engagement body 301, in the state that the locked portion 315 of the lever 307 is engaged with the locking portion 311 of the second connector 305, the second connector 305 is integrally connected with the first connector 303. From this state, it is configured such that a finger is used to press the locked portion 315 to thereby elastically deform the locked portion 315 by which the locked portion 315 is separated from the locking portion 311, and then the lever 307 is rotated to thereby separate the second connector 305 from the first connector 303. At this time, it is so configured that the finger abuts the operating portion 313 to rotate the lever 307 and to thereby apply a pressing force to the operating portion 313, thus making it possible to rotate the lever 307 in order to cause the separating force.
Here, the connector engagement body 301 will be explained in more detail.
For convenience of explanation, a height direction is defined as a moving direction of the second connector 305 when the second connector 305 is attached and detached to and from the first connector 303. Further, of the height direction, one direction (the second connector 305 side) is defined as an upper direction while the other direction (first connector 303 side) is defined as a lower direction. It is so configured that the second connector 305 moves toward the lower direction relative to the first connector 303 to be connected with the first connector 303 and the second connector 305 moves toward the upper direction relative to the first connector 303 to be disengaged from the first connector 303. Further, one direction perpendicular to the height direction is defined as a longitudinal direction, and one direction perpendicular to the height direction and the longitudinal direction is defined as a lateral direction.
The first connector 303 includes a first connector housing (not illustrated) made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The first connector housing includes a main body formed, for example, into a rectangular tube. The inner lower portion of the main body is provided with, for example, a terminal (female terminal) 304. The inner upper portion of the main body is provided with a connector chamber 333. The main body is provided with a pair of cam pins 334, as illustrated in FIG. 23.
The cam pins 334 protrude from outer walls (a pair of outer walls positioned on respective ends in the lateral direction) of the main body of the first connector 303.
The second connector 305 includes a second connector housing 335 made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin and a cover (electrical shock preventing cover) 337 made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The second connector housing 335 is provided with a terminal (male terminal) 306. Then, it is so configured that connecting the second connector 305 with the first connector 303 allows the second connector housing 335 to enter into the connector chamber 333 to thereby connect the terminal 306 of the second connector 305 with the terminal 304 of the first connector 303.
The cover 337 includes a body portion 343 (formed into a rectangular box provided with a tubular portion 339 and an upper plate portion 341), the locking portion 311 and a pair of rotational spindles 345.
When the second connector 305 is connected with the first connector 303, the cover 337 covers an upper portion of the first connector 303 to thereby lid the upper portion of the first connector 303. In addition, the second connector 305 is entered into the connector chamber 333.
Further, when the second connector 305 is connected with the first connector 303, the tubular portion 339 of the cover 337 surrounds a portion at an upper end side of the first connector housing. The cam pins 334 are positioned downward of the cover 337, as illustrated in FIG. 23.
The rotational spindles 345 are provided pairwise and protrude from outer walls (a pair of outer walls positioned at respective ends in the lateral direction) of the cover 337. Further, the rotational spindles 345 are positioned in the middle portion of the cover 337 in the height direction and longitudinal direction.
The lever 307 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin and includes a lever main body 323 (provided with a pair of arm portions 347 and a connecting portion 349 and formed into a U-like shape), the operating portion 313, the locked portion 315, cam grooves 357 and engaging holes (rotational spindle engaging holes) 359.
Each of the cam grooves 357 extends in the longitudinal direction of each of the arm portions 347 and is provided at each of the arm portions 347. The penetrating direction of each of the cam grooves 357 is the lateral direction of the lever 307 (lateral direction of the connector engagement body 301). Each of the engagement holes (penetration holes) 359 is provided at each of the arm portions 347 at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of each of the arm portions 347. The penetrating direction of each of the engagement holes 359 is also the lateral direction of the lever 307. Further, each of the engagement holes 359 is separated from each of the cam grooves 357 in the thickness direction of the lever 307 which is a direction perpendicular to each of the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 347 and the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 349. Further, with the connector engagement body 301 having the lever 307 in the mated position (refer to FIGS. 25A and 25B), the engagement holes 359 are positioned upward of the cam grooves 357.
It is so configured that, with the lever 307 installed at the cover 307, the rotational spindles 345 enter into the engagement holes 359 and the lever 307 rotates around the rotational spindles 345. Further, the rotational angle of the lever 307 is in the range of approximately 90 degrees, as illustrated in FIGS. 24 and 25.
Further, when the second connector 305 (cover 337) with the lever 307 installed thereto is connected with the first connector 303, the cam pins 334 of the first connector 303 are inserted into the cam grooves 357.
Further, it is so configured that, with the cam pins 334 inserted into the cam grooves 357, the lever 307 rotates between the mated position (refer to FIGS. 25A and 25B) and the separated position (refer to FIGS. 24A and 24B) around the rotational spindles 345.
It is so configured that the above rotation of the lever 307 allows the cam pins 334 to move in the cam grooves 357 and causes the mating force or separating force to act between the second connector 305 and the first connector 303. That is, it is so configured that when the lever 307 rotates clockwise (direction of an arrow A24) from the state illustrated in FIG. 24B, the second connector 305 moves downward to be mated with the first connector 303. Further, it is so configured that when the lever 307 rotates counterclockwise (direction of an arrow A25) from the state illustrated in FIG. 25B, the second connector 305 moves upward to be separated from the first connector 303.